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Category: Sandwiches
Neighborhood: CastroMon-Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
"When I was a little girl my mother used to take me to the corner convenience store where I would order a salami sandwich on dutch crunch,…" read more »
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Another one of those restaurants where the rating is slightly inflated by extremely warm friendly customer service. The sandwiches are very good, but certainly not among the top in SF.
But people like sweet old Chinese ladies giving them a free cookie with their sandwich....
ON VACATION -- AGAIN -- UNTIL AT LEAST MID-JANUARY 2010 !!!
Clearly, we had better appreciate M & L Market whilst we have the chance. After being open for all of four months, Judy needs another break from early November 2009 to at least mid January 2010.
Watch this space...
After being closed since Thanksgiving 2007, M&L Market re-opened today (7/6/09), and I was there.… Read more »
Yelpers didn't fail on this one. I never imagined I would fall in love with a Hot Pastrami sando.
Pay attention, though, and practice your order in your head before it's your turn (bread first). If you have a bad service experience, it's your own fault.
I have messed up a few times at mays, big deal, you get it after a while, and it does make the line go smoother.
I'm not a pastrami fan, but people seem to love it there.
The egg and tuna is my favorite, they pile it high, and its not to anything.
Its just perfect.
My girlfriend says the pastrami is one of the best she has ever had.
There is an art to making a good sandwich.
Some think they can do it well, some people think they can do many things well, but I never see a line at their door.
Absolutely wonderful staff and pricing. Fantastic sandwiches. When you order a half sandwich you get an entire sandwich, just half the meat.
Closed for the holidays but will re-open January 1st 2010 (I bought TWO sandwiches on their last day open last week)!
F@CK YEAH!!!!! OPEN AGAIN. May doesn't make the sandwiches anymore but get your order straight man and order like you used to or she's gonna give you the stank eye from the register. I had been coming hear since 95 till they closed for awhile but now they're back and so am I. Me and sammiches have had a long storied love affair. Roxie Food Center and Judy May's have been my sammich mistresses for years .I came to and fro between them for over a decade like a man torn between two women, then when Judy May's closed I figured fate had made my choice for me and turned me monogamous . Then as luck would have it, J&M retruned to me now I'm the sammich swinger I once was. Only this time I hope she never leaves me again.
Forever Hopelessly Yours,
Santiago "the sammich swinger" Godoy
I was so disappointed when this place closed. the sandwiches are great. its run by a family that's been serving the neighbor hood for at least 15 years. I am not often at lunch time at church and market and was so disappointed when I went last year to find the place closed.
they reopened and I am so Happy.. May is running the register and no longer making sandwiches. going here one feels part of a community and extended family. love it
I had the greatest roast beef on rye sandwich. I ordered a full sandwich, which really should be named "two sandwiches in one"
I ate half for lunch, and the other half for dinner.
Mind you, I can eat like a starving lion...and then order dessert. I waited a really long time for my sandwich, but it was noontime.
The roast beef was super yummy, tons of condiments and veggies, AND the lady that rung me up was so cute, she gave me the almond cookie,and said "You eat this for dessert, ok?" Not to mention, I loved all the old school photos on the wall and the fact that I spent most of my time in line deciding what soda to choose from, only to move up in line, and see 10 more choices in the coolers.
I am DEFINATELY going to come back.
Let me repeat what so many other yelpers have claimed - this is one of the best, if not the best, sandwich in San Francisco. Judy and May most definitely earn their sparkling reputation.
I could not believe the quality and size of my sandwich. The menu lists two sizes - half and full. My sister went with a full, which meant two slices of bread each stacked high with your choice of meat, veggies and condiments. I went half, expecting one slice of bread cut in half. Nope. I literally got a full sandwich too, it just wasn't piled as high. But still higher than most full-sized sandwiches elsewhere. It was one of the most delicious steals of all time (less than $4).
Intangible bonus points for May being one of the cutest elderly asian ladies ever, especially for calling me young man and tossing a free cookie into my bag. This place is an absolute gem.
This past Christmas I received from "Santa" a gift card to a swanky sandwich shop. Some Santa. I redeemed my certificate for something that was nice, pleasant; though hardly could I have called it a sandwich. The friend was trying to lift my spirits since my favorite sandwich shop - M & L - closed. I guess there really is no Santa.
Today I skipped lunch and ended up bailing from work early. Finding myself starved and wanting something REALLY good and filling I started to look around in my old 'hood. Some were too expensive, others didn't seem to agree with my mood or my appetite. On a whim I turned the corner to stare longingly into the windows of my long lost favorite sandwich shop, M & L Market. Known affectionately to many as Mays Sandwich shop......... SURPRISE! There were May and Judy hard at work. I walked in, tentative but in wondrous awe.
Judy asked what I would like: My inner voices screamed "ONE OF EVERY SANDWICH NOW PLEASE!!" but my exterior individual calmly said: "On light rye I'd like the Pastrami sandwich with Jack Cheese and everything. To Go." The old saying that you never forget how to ride a bike is particularly true in this instance, considering the specifics of ordering a sandwich here which all the regulars know as part of the ritual. I stepped over to May as she rang my sandwich up on that familiar old cash register. You know the kind: push down the keys and numbers pop up as an inner bell chimes. Old school. But familiar. May took my bill and made change. Opened a paper sack and stuffed my sammy inside and followed up with a few napkins surrounding an almond cookie. OMG - ITS BACK!
What I got was a mouthwatering, flavorful, Appetite pleasing, value packed meal between two pieces of bread.....and it was FREAKING good!!
They were closed for a year and half, but they are back in form.
Yes, Roger, there really is a Santa Claus!
Nothing like one of their sandwiches. I've wanted to change up the ordering process, just to see… Read more »
I find it very interesting that few sammy-only places exist in a City that prides itself on its culinary delights. with that said, a sammy is not some difficult culinary feat. i was brought here by friends who once lived here in SF and told me that you MUST, i repeat, MUST get your order correct to avoid some evil stare from the grandmother, daughter, granddaughter team that fixes the sammy's. the stare is the only reason why this place does not get the fifth-star. sorry, not everyone eats here on the daily and knows the "rules" of the "non-listed rules". quick and efficient YES. delicious YES. this is a fine place to grab a basic sammy that are delicious and cheap.
My coworkers rave about this place so decided to check it out on a slow friday workday. We got there early to avoid the long lines and boy were we lucky. Right after we sat down, the line started going out the door. Everyone's reviews about how they get mad if you don't order are heavily exaggerated. I thought both ladies were very nice. I had no idea they were chinese. i was expecting russian or some european descent.
the Hot pastrami was kept in two crockpots. I had it on sourdough, with everything on it. she topped on layers and layers and then a few more layers of the pastrami and finally put the other bread on. They really do take care of you there. I wish they had an option of toasted but beggars can't be choosers. The meat was realyl goood but it got soggy and then it was just too much meat for one sandwich. Prices i heard have gone up over the years and you can get away with a full sandiwch, chips and soda for about $8 something.
they do include a almond cookie and fortune cookie with your meal. Seats are limited but go early if you don't plan to wait. they usualyl only have one person making sandwiches and one person collecting the cash.
UPDATE: changing it to 4 stars. YOU MUST GET IT ON THE SOURDOUGH ROLL (NOT SLICED). IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
when meeting a friend for lunch, i looked to fellow yelpers' advice for a decent sandwich place near(ish) castro/mission which lead me to m&l market.
i now am in love with this place. this is the type of joint you want to support. lots of menu options, decently priced, and super friendly workers. the wait is a bit longer than usual but definitely worth it.
i love the old pictures on the wall and the fact that they actually use an old, manual cash register. i can only imagine how difficult that must be.
plus a free cookie!
i only wish i had known about m&l when i worked nearer.
How did I miss this place? Having lived near here multiple times over the last 15 years, I have no excuses.
Just stopped in after getting a whiff of the hot pastrami and seeing the smiling faces of the ladies behind the counter.
I ordered the Jack special. An absolutely huge double decker. It was $7 and easily over 2 pounds. I ate every bite of it! I posted a photo.
Hours: 11:30 to 4pm. Tip: Order the bread first. :p
Has anybody heard??? M & L Market is re-opening soon? Holy crap!!!
My friend just told me that they will reopen in June after an almost 2 year hiatus. I've been searching for a comparable sandwich but I have yet to find anything close to the genius behind this establishment. If I can make it till then, I'll order 17 pastrami sandwiches with the correct ordering structure. Let me refresh your memory.
1) bread first
2) then type of sandwich
3) then what condiments you would like on it
4) then cheese
5) then for here or to go.
Freaking awesome!!! Not only is every sandwich on the menu cheap and enormous but the most delicious sandwich I've ever had. If this place doesn't open and this is all a rumor, I'm gonna crack some heads. Lets get a move on already!!!
I love May's Sandwiches! They were closed for a long time but are now open. Judy and May are the best and so are their sandwiches.
They make the best pastrami sandwich in town. The roast beef is spectacular too.. One day I was bored and asked Judy to surprise me and she made me a pastrami/egg salad sandwich which was out of this world.
The lines can be long, but it is well worth the wait. May's sandwiches are very reasonable and a San Francisco institution!
Like Jerome, I am in the neighborhood but haven't been here as long as him. So, I've wandered by this place many times wondering why it wasn't open. I finally saw that it was open a few weeks ago and showed up at 11:20 or so (it's open from 11:30 - 4:00 on weekdays). There were already 3 or 4 people waiting and I got the full story on Judy & May (wonderful people), how to order (bread first, then meat, then the condiments you want), and the best sandwiches (many said pastrami, but there was definite support for the chicken salad).
I've had pastrami on rye, rare roast beef on sourdough, and chicken salad on dutch crunch. Each had a little something to make it special.
The pastrami was overflowing on the sandwich (and Judy puts the extra meat that falls off in the bag when she wraps your sandwich, so you can munch on the delicious pastrami goodness) and the fixings were perfect. The roast beef was tender and plentiful (according to Judy it was still mooing) and was complemented well with the touch of horseradish. The chicken salad was made with what looked and tasted like dark meat, which in my opinion has much more flavor. AND, there was the spice which kind of creeps up on you. I would recommend any of those and based on that would say to get whatever strikes your fancy. I would be shocked if these two ladies could do anything wrong in the sandwich-making arena.
What really puts this place into the 5 star arena is the experience of feeling like you're in someone's home kitchen. The pastrami is warmed in a crock pot, the roast beef is sliced on and ready to go on plates, Judy and May are bantering with each other and the customers all wait patiently in a long line for a bit of sandwichy goodness.
The only downsides are that long line (about 20-30 minute wait at times... but entirely worth it) and the fact that after you finish the sandwich (and you will finish it, regardless of your intentions), all you want to do is take a nap.
Last but not least, I want to say that I would choose M & L Market over Ike's Place any day of the week. Bear in mind that I like Ike's... I like it a lot. It's just that Ike's has sandwiches like your little brother would make (not that I'm knocking putting mozzarella sticks in a meatball sub), whereas May's has sandwiches like your mom or grandma would make.
I had the chicken salad on a dutch crunch. Boy, it hits all kinds of spots. Loved the crunch, maybe I haven't had a crunch for so long that it tasted so good. A whole sandwich turns into two separate lunches. I love sprouts, so when I saw that it made my day. The chicken salad had a tiny spicy, "ting" to it, how yummy and not boring. I do feel like being at home and being served by mom and grandmother. I loved the almond cookie "bonus." Always can use a little sweet pick-me-up. I couldn't even get the cookie back to my desk, because I ate it right when I left the shop. Expect a line, but it gives you time to figure out what to get. Decisions, decisions!
I have been eating @ M & L for years. I eat here at least 3 times a week for lunch. I love it because I can order a sandwich, chips and a drink for exactly $4.65. In times like this, you gotta love the price. Judy (the chef) and May (the cashier) are so nice. It is like having lunch with your family. I love the hot pastrami and the egg with tuna. But my favorite is the chicken salad. No where in the world are you gonna find a chicken salad so tasty! And I'll tell you, I try chicken salad sandwiches just to compare them to Judy's. No comparison yet. I highly recommend it. There is always a line, but have patience, it is well worth it.
I just finished eating my Pastrami Sandwich and I can tell you that it was the best! The restaurant is located at a very convenient location near Safeway!
Forget Ike's this place does sandwiches like no other.
I've been thrice over the past several weeks and have always left happy and full.
The signature sandwich is the pastrami which is steamed and peppered to perfection. A half is enough to satisfy most appetites, the full will push you over the teetering brink of sandwich heaven.
Next time around, a friend and I split a corned beef and a chicken salad (the proprietor's favorite). She walked away a new believer.
Just today, i tried a half roast beef. Which is actually a misnomer because it comes on a full slice of bread, but with just half the meat of the full! Best thing about the roast beef is you get your choice of regular, medium rare or super rare! love it! I grabbed a half egg salad to go [looks like a full] ... am saving that for later.
I can't believe how much value you get for their sandwiches. A half sandwich goes for anywhere from 2.50 to 3.50 and it's actually a full.
What else do I like?
The fixins are stacked with fresh crispy goodness, crisp lettuce, slivered white sweet onions, pickles, sprouts,,, if you ask for avocado watch out cuz you'll get a whole one in there!
I also love the ladies that work there. Bless these ladies and their generous small business souls. i hear they've been at this for over 20 years. Here's to another 20!
The best hot pastrami sandwich ever. It is worth the bus ride/walk from downtown SF. I would walk a thousand miles to eat here again and again. This is a must try place is SF.
What can I say about May's??? Simply the best and tastiest deli I've been to! Never a disappointment. I've been going here for many years, my cousin and her family have gone here since the 70s (they grew up just around the corner from May's). Sure, the lines can be ridiculously long at times, but it's well worth the wait. The sandwiches are made with fresh ingredients, and her pastrami sandwiches are amazing. ALWAYS CHOOSE YOUR BREAD FIRST! I haven't been here for awhile though, but the last I remembered was that they had been closed for a few months. They often go on vacations, especially during the holidays. I'm hoping that all is well with their family, and I also hope they open up soon if they are still closed!
PROS: sandwiches that don't skimp on the meat, the right amount of mayo, DELICIOUS PASTRAMI! family-owned business, May and her almond cookies, much much healthier alternative to quizno's or subway, very inexpensive
CONS: long wait, hard to find street parking
To all you fans of M&L, I just confirmed M&L has reopened!!!! YEAH!!!
The BEST sandwich place ever!!! They have killer pastrami sandwiches!!! Try the chicken salad… Read more »
They're Ba-ack!!! Now I can die a happy person! The best sandwiches in the world. . . The triple egg with tuna is my standard, but remember it's still "Bread First"! Thank you Judy and May!
I drove by here last week (used to work nearby) because I was craving for the best pastrami sandwich EVER, but saw they were closed....so I'm glad to read they may reopen in June or have relocated...whatever, I will wait or search for this elusive place! I've lived in the Peninsula for many years (safe but boring!) and will drive to SF just to get a pastrami sandwich (okay, my parents live in SF too, but in a different neighborhood). I am still searching a comparable pastrami sandwich.....and hope this place reopens soon.
Went here today and it was open I could not believe my eyes! May and Judy were botht there too, And the pastrami was the best as usual. Best part no long line I dont think many people know there open again because every few minutes a new person would walk in and so "oh my god your open!"
I'm glad there back, If your looking for a great sandwich this is the place especially if you like pastrami!
Best pastrami sandwich I've ever had (my 1st sandwich ever to have green onions sprinkled on it, amazing..). This was well worth the journey from 1st and market via bus rail walk. This is a place you MUST try.
Judy and May re-opened today July 7th, 2009. Of course I ordered my hot pastrami on rye.
A fresh coat of paint on the ceiling, Judy smiling and May passing out cookies.
Welcome back! Yum Yum.
I too miss the hot pastrami sandwich's. After all these years I still rehearse how I need to order… Read more »
I love May's too, but I've also been wondering where they have been.
They've been closed for about 9 months now. The last time I tried to go, I called first and Judy (May's daughter) answered the phone (at least I tink I recognized her voice). She said "we hope to be back in July."
It's now November and the sign in the window says "All is well, See you Soon." (I think).
In any case, the Pastrami sandwiches are really excellent.
I used to work around the corner from May's. I learned about it from an SF native. The portions are gigantic for the money and the ingredients are generally fresh. May is SF's equivalent to the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld. You don't want to know what happens if you don't order your bread first. Don't test this woman. She WILL open up a SERIOUS CAN o' WHOOPASS on you!!!
(I secretly don't like their almond cookies but I've been afraid to tell May for years so I just accept them and give them to homeless people.)
May is an angry god and you will be smited if you order your sandwich in the wrong order. Bread first and then please only one ingredient at a time. And then your sandwich will be big, plentiful and full of love.
Confession: I used to walk by here a lot when I lived around the corner and I used to stop and watch May watch her little TV in the back of the cafe at night. Strangely calming.
Mama May's....Yes, its true you must go to this place with a game plan
1st. state your bread
2nd what kind of meat for your sandwich
3rd what additional items do you want on the sandwich, NOT what you don't want
4th what kind of cheese
I personally dont mind ordering my sandwich this way, I believe that if everyone ordered like this then the line will move a lot faster. The only thing that I can not stand about this place are the hours. I swear it seems like they are only open 3 days a week, for 2 hours a day. But when you do get your sandwich it is well worth it.
You have to get the hot pastrami and chicken salad
You guys are funny. You actually enjoy verbal abuse and attitude dished out by people to whom you give money. Very, very, straange.
I grant you that all of the reviews are true: she *IS* the Sandwich Nazi, and she DOES lash out at her peeps. Only thing is, the abuse would be almost worth it if her sandwiches were a DEAL (like Lee's downtown, $3 for a PB&J) but they're NOT!
I was DRAGGED there by a friend who freaking LOVES this place, so I do understand the following (cult?) that May has set up for herself, but it is SO not my scene. Getting attitude by someone and THEN giving them something for it? No thanks, the holiday season in my family comes around once a year and that is more than enough.
You really need to be on top of your game or May will give you a verbal bitch slapping quicker than you can say, "almond cookie". I once saw her make someone go to the back of the line because they didn't have their order together.
The first time I brought my friend there(a 7 foot tall, office manager), he was sweating mass bullets in anticipation of ordering. He looked strangely constipated and yet hungry. He survived and like a rite of passage it became an important milestone in his life.
The turkey with hot pastrami is the way to go. Three slices of bread separating the cold turkey from the hot ,steamy pastrami. Genius!
I haven't been there in a year or so, but last time I was, May had retired and her granddaughter had taken up the task of putting the sandwiches together. I was sort of upset that she wasn't as abusive as May... I guess I'm sick that way.
8/07 Update: Finally made it back to May's(M&L) and have to say that the hot pastrami and turkey sandwich was just as amazing as I remember it. May's daughter made the sandwiches while May walked around smiling and ringing people up.
The friends I brought with me were pissed that I had never told them about this place and alas they are sadly moving to LA. So, eat there now and don't say I didn't tell you so.
I live around the corner, but work in the Valley, so picking up lunch here on a 'working from home' day is a treat.
What comes to mind when you order a half sandwich? To me, it is one slice of bread, cut in half, with your meat and fixin's tucked between the two half slices. I ordered a half pastrami sandwich which was two slices of bread with what appeared to me as maybe 1/3 less meat than a regular order! Generous portions!
I didn't get to experience May's wrath, but there is a picture of her with a photoshopped cartoon bubble that says something to the effect of "Can't you read!? I said, 'Bread first!'"
Years in the future, if I become a grandma I'd like to be like May: sweet veneer with a dragon lady's wrath underneath, to save for the occassions when the bratty rugrats aren't listening.
Great for lunch.
Can do pastrami on whole wheat or french though avoid the jack and mayo locals believe belong on a sandwich, good value.
M & L Market is more known as May's or as the sandwich place with the "sandwich nazi". But it's been a long time since the "sandwich nazi" has actually been the one behind the counter making the sandwiches. She added flare to the whole experience because back then, if you didn't order yours in the correct order you were sent to the back of the line. But even if you were sent to the back, it was worth the wait.
Now a days Heather makes the great M&L sandwiches and she's really sweet. The whole family is really sweet. And that's just an added bonus to their delicious sandwiches. They have a variety of sandwiches that you can order: egg salad, peanut butter & banana to hot pastrami. And they're generous with their portions plus the prices are pretty reasonable for the amount that you get. They stay in the $4 to $5.75 range.
I highly recommend the "Jack's Special" or the Hot Pastrami. Two of the best sandwiches I've ever had! (However, I've heard they've changed their "Jack's Special recently so I'm not sure how it now.) But when I used to order them from them...Mouth-watering delicious!
One drawback...they're only open on weekdays from 11:30 till 4:00 and they do close periodically for a week or more depending on the season and the holiday.
they've reopened! with the same people and the same everything! i think there were actual tears in my eyes when i saw that they'd reopened. this is one of my favorite things about living in the Mistro/Outer Safeway/whatever you call this neighborhood. east coast pastrami snobs can skip may's -- you'll hate it, i promise. it's thinly sliced like prosciutto and kept in a rice cooker and doesn't cost $16 like at Katz's. Plus we don't want you clogging up the line.
if for some crazy reason you decide to not get the pastrami, the roast beef is thin and bloody and perfect and they have nice horseradish to go with it.
p.s. avocado is an ingredient, not a topping or condiment
p.p.s. tell them what you want on it, not what you don't want
One patient young woman making sandwiches and one sweet older woman taking money. No Sandwich Nazi in sight. Maybe May's on vacation? Maybe she's just simmered-down with age.
Lot's of choices so you can create your perfect sandwich: about eight kinds of bread, a dozen meats, three cheeses, and the typical veggie fix-ins. I was a little disappointed that they didn't have plain yellow mustard, cheddar cheese, or smoked turkey (just had the salty-kind).
Personally, I prefer the pre-made sandwiches at Harvest Market because they have a larger variety of veggies and more inventive spreads. (I'm a no-mammal-tarian so I was stuck with Turkey or Egg Salad at M & L - no Hot Pastrami for me!) But I'll certainly be back next time I'm home on a weekday.
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Neighborhood: Financial District
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Category: Grocery
San Francisco, CA
Category: Sandwiches
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